The project is aimed at facilitating biomedical communications by providing a system of terminology for ophthalmology and a prototype for similar projects in other fields. The project will provide a classification and a multilingual nomenclature, providing definitions as well as preferred terms and synonyms. Emphasis will be placed on coordination with other classifications and nomenclatures, in particular with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The proposed terminology should serve a variety of needs such as: medical education, literature indexing and retrieval, medical records and medical communications, medical statistics, medical information systems and databanks. The project is a continuation of work started by the International Council of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, and will be conducted in close cooperation with these and other organizations.